FOOD

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Welcome to Duet 35, one of the cleaner and trendier places to go for "karaoke". The place looks as if its been renovated, though the website says they will be closed Sept. 13 - Sept. 18 for renovations. The space touts 12-16 private rooms catered to the shy and not so shy singer who wants to take their shower voice to a new venue. The rooms come in various sizes, with the smallest room fitting 2-3 people and the largest room accommodating up to 30 people. Depending on the size of the room, many vocal karaoke-ers (is that a word?) can also showcase their dance moves as they sing along to the song or in our case, pretend to be "back-up" dancers (sorry no incriminating photos of my friends OR of myself here).

Many karaoke shops have a disorganized song book, or even worse -- an outdated song book -- which as we all know can seriously cramp our mojo singing skills - but I tell you now, you will NOT be disappointed at Duet 35. Their song books are presented in an organized fashion that allows your eyes to easily comb through the pages. Its organized a few different ways - first sorted by Artist and their song title; or, you can preview by Song title and associated Artist (yes, its usually how places present their songs, but somehow it was easier to find my songs here). Even with an organized song book, Duet 35 also manages to update its song book monthly, and sometimes more frequently than that. So, for those avid radio listeners, your song will most likely be there!

Also, we know there are many talented singers out there who want to sing in their native tongue, and if that's you -- you're in luck -- Duet 35 has various song language options including Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Latin and more.

So everything sounds great, but how much does it cost? Duet 35 charges per person per hour and it can range from $4-$8 per hour depending on the day. If you love to sing, you can also do the "Karaoke Marathon" that allows you to sing from OPEN to 8 PM for $10 or $12 per person, depending on the day. You can think of it as the "Happy Singing Hour." And yes, all these options include the "private room" -- so take that sip of water and get your singing voice ready -- you can be the next American Idol!

If you're not ready for your debut, you can loosen up alongside Duet 35's bar that offers everything your heart or I should say, liver desires -- beers, mixed drinks, shochu, wine and sodas. The drink menu is cheaper than New York swanky bars and comparable to restaurant prices. (sorry, no BYOB at this place). Any drink you order will be delivered to your private room - so, drink, sing and be merry at Duet 35!